Does Vastu work in the USA?
Yes, Vastu can be applied to a house in the USA. Its guidance is about directions, and north, east, south and west are the same everywhere. Two things need care in America: a compass can be 10–15° away from true north (to the west on the East Coast, to the east on the West Coast), and American homes have rooms the classical texts never described, such as attached garages, basements and powder rooms.
Compass vs true north in the USA
A compass in the United States can be far from true north, and the gap changes across the country. In the Northeast it points west of true north; on the West Coast it points east; through Texas and the Midwest the gap is small. Your score uses the exact figure for your own city.
| City | Compass vs true north | Daylight, mid-winter to mid-summer |
|---|---|---|
| Edison, NJ | 12.2° west | 9.3 – 15.1 h |
| Jersey City, NJ | 12.4° west | 9.3 – 15.1 h |
| New York City, NY | 12.5° west | 9.3 – 15.1 h |
| Boston, MA | 13.9° west | 9.1 – 15.3 h |
| Raleigh, NC | 9.4° west | 9.7 – 14.6 h |
| Atlanta, GA | 5.6° west | 9.9 – 14.4 h |
| Chicago, IL | 4.2° west | 9.1 – 15.2 h |
| Naperville, IL | 3.8° west | 9.1 – 15.2 h |
| Dallas, TX | 2.5° east | 10.0 – 14.3 h |
| Frisco, TX | 2.5° east | 10.0 – 14.3 h |
| Houston, TX | 1.7° east | 10.2 – 14.1 h |
| Austin, TX | 3.1° east | 10.2 – 14.1 h |
| Phoenix, AZ | 9.6° east | 9.9 – 14.4 h |
| Los Angeles, CA | 11.3° east | 9.9 – 14.4 h |
| San Jose, CA | 12.7° east | 9.6 – 14.7 h |
| Fremont, CA | 12.7° east | 9.6 – 14.8 h |
| Seattle, WA | 14.9° east | 8.4 – 16.0 h |
| Redmond, WA | 14.8° east | 8.4 – 16.0 h |
Calculated for 2026 with the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025 (NOAA / British Geological Survey) and NOAA solar equations. "East" means a compass points to the east of true north.
American homes, read correctly
The report uses the names on your plan and reads them the way a US home is built:
- Attached garage: part of the home outline. Traditionally best: North-West, traditionally the zone of movement (Vayu). South-East is also acceptable.
- Basement: common in the Northeast and Midwest. Classical texts do not describe full basements, so basement rooms are scored by direction and marked; storage, recreation or a gym suit a basement better than the main bedroom.
- Powder room and half bath: read like a toilet. The north-east and the centre of the home are the places tradition avoids.
- Owner's suite, walk-in closet, bonus room: each is placed and scored on its own floor.
- Open-concept great room: an open living area at the centre of the home is fine. Tradition only discourages toilets, stairs and closed rooms there.
- HOA homes: almost every fix is inside the home, so HOA rules on exteriors rarely matter. Choose "Own it (HOA rules)" in the tool.
The sun over an American home
In all 48 mainland states the midday sun is always to the south, so south-facing rooms get the most winter sun and north-facing rooms the least. That is a measured fact, not a Vastu rule, and the report shows it for your city alongside the Vastu reading.
Hawaii is different: it lies in the tropics, and in Honolulu the midday sun is on the north side for about 52 days around June. The report notes this for tropical homes.
Daylight also varies more than in most of India: from about 8.4 hours in mid-winter to 16.0 hours in mid-summer in Seattle, and 9.3 to 15.1 hours in New Jersey.
West-facing and south-facing houses in the US
Many US subdivisions have homes facing every direction. Tradition favours north- and east-facing entrances, but a west- or south-facing house is not a bad house: where the front door sits on its wall and how the rooms are placed matter more than the facing alone. The report checks your front door's exact position (its pada) on the plan.
Check one home, or compare your shortlist
- Score out of 100 and its band
- Your top three issues
- True north correction for your city
- Every room scored, with no-cost and low-cost fixes
- Your floor plans with the zones at true north
- Centre, front door and pada
- Action plan, 90-day plan and checklist
- Two or three homes side by side
- Which home fits Vastu best, and why
- Plus the full report for the home you choose
Vastu in the USA: questions people ask
Does Vastu work in the USA?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, and north, east, south and west are the same in the USA as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to an American home. What matters is reading true north correctly for your city and placing US rooms such as garages, basements and powder rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in the US?
Yes, in most places. A compass points about 12° west of true north in Edison, New Jersey, 3° east in Frisco, Texas, 13° east in San Jose and 15° east in Seattle (World Magnetic Model). A gap of 10° or more can move a room into the next zone, so VastuIQ corrects every compass reading for your city.
Is a west-facing house bad in the USA?
No. Tradition favours north- and east-facing entrances, but a west-facing house can read well when the front door sits in a good position on its wall and the main rooms are well placed. The report checks the door's exact pada and every room.
How does Vastu treat a basement?
Classical texts do not describe full basements. VastuIQ scores basement rooms by direction like any other floor and marks them as basement rooms. Common guidance is to use a basement for storage, recreation or a gym rather than the main bedroom, and to keep its north-east part the lightest.
Can I check the Vastu of a house before buying it in the US?
Yes. Most listings include a floor plan image. Upload it, confirm the rooms and you get a free score in a few minutes. To choose between homes, use Compare 2–3 homes: the side-by-side comparison is free, and Home Buyer Compare (US$79) adds a PDF that ranks them and includes the full report for the home you choose.
Where should the garage be as per Vastu?
A garage is read like any vehicle or movement space. Traditionally best: North-West, traditionally the zone of movement (Vayu). South-East is also acceptable. An attached garage is counted as part of the home outline.
Do I need a Vastu consultant in the USA?
For an existing or shortlisted home, a report is a fast and affordable first check. If you are designing a new home or planning a major renovation, a consultant who can work with your architect is worth considering as well.
More for homes abroad
Written by Manoj Jangra, founder of VastuIQ. Last updated 18 October 2026.
Vastu Shastra is a traditional and cultural practice. VastuIQ reports are not engineering, legal, financial or medical advice and do not promise any outcome.